It is deplorable to see Sunanda Pushkar murder case not reaching its logical conclusion? In addition, I’m even shocked and surprised to see the horrifying and poltroon attitude of Shashi Tharoor who isn’t seen pushing for justice for his slain wife. Any other politician husband who still happens to be the Congress spokesperson would have gone hammer and tongs to town and would have threatened to go on fast until death till the culprit is nabbed. But the situation out here is tragically quite different. As he is trying to maintain that stoic silence, but in whose interest no one knows. And one loosely feels the family is in no hurry to get her justice.

On the other hand look at Delhi Police. They appear to have botched up the entire case, as per TV reports, of certain channels. And what to talk of Home Ministry, that is incubating over the matter as if to assess the political gains. Least they could have done was to hand over the matter to CBI. Very sadly … this happens to be our callous India that loves, playing around with dead and fractured souls. What a pity. Mare hua ko bhi nahi chodte (They don’t even spare the dead).

One wonders how easy it is for the state to dump a murder case and that too of a socialite coming from high society. So, then what happens to the lower and the downtrodden, and of course the whole thing is reeking of filth in our high social circles.

And last but not the least. The likes of Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Erle Stanley Gardner who made crime as their mission of life must all be churning in their graves over the alleged bungling up, by Delhi Police in this high profile murder case. Now let us see how Subramaniam Swami takes the lead.

I knew for sure. This ever changing world around me will only change further. But I just didn’t know how much. Ever since you left us on this very day many years ago. I have stayed away from Lucknow. And after many years I’m home around this time. Thinking, I would sight the changing times myself. So, on this serene and dismal morning I went out for a morning walk. Pursuing, quite the same route. That, you once frequented. And it gave me a feel as if I was following the same trail that you had left behind.

To be frank. I wasn’t surprised when I saw. The old surroundings had really sprung up to the hilt, leaving no niche for that stilly calm. The flow of river Gomti has receded and it isn’t what it used to be in your times. It has thinned down. Like the plait of an ageing lady. The chirping Gauraiyas are nowhere to be seen. And no one knows where they have gone. Did you see them by any chance? Did they come to you? Meanwhile some Gods have grown in stature but some remained where they were. The temple of Hanuman Setu has exalted both in pomp and spirits, just like you. But the small Shivalaya near the banks has only greyed. It still emanates of that salt and pepper looks. The overarching, Banyan tree there, has spread all around the Shivalay. As if, protecting, the God of the poor, residing in it. That reminded me of the days when you protected all of us.

The chauraha has become quite psychedelic as everything out there has changed. The famous samosawalla—Phullu who had his makeshift shop in the middle of it is nowhere to be seen—the samosas are there but the walla has changed. No one knows where he has gone. Some say he is no more. One, Good Samaritan has converted her home into an institution. I wish. Many were like her.

The chauraha gossips are no more vociferous. The morning newspapers have swapped positions and with that even the feel. From Swatantra Bharat it is now Dainik Jagran and some others. What has grossly depleted over the years is ‘time.’ People don’t have time but enough to whine. Where, morals have declined.

Even in the faint trickle and rustle of the holy river. I could hardly hear the serenading calls of those joyous koel in the colourful months of spring. That used to be so piercing earlier. It has now been overtaken by the roar of the swarming vehicles thriving on the embankment. That sadly pollutes the vicinity, all along the scorching day. Lots of people walk up to the newly resurrected Mandirs, Ashrams and even a Masjid nearby for peace of mind. Perhaps, someday, their temples within, shall also kindle to the call of the Almighty.

Most bright children in and around have left for good. I now only find their parents whiling away their time in obsolescence. Is when, I wonder what I got from you and what I gave to my child. If the equations are not comforting peace shall always elude me.

So much has changed over the years. Yet a few things haven’t changed. Just as, the day and night take their turn. The sun still rises and the rain comes when it has to come. Seasons too, alternate when they have to. But more importantly the chord we struck during our lives will never ever change.

What I continue to learn from you is, pillars should not change. But they should allow the change.

May, you rest in peace.

By Kamlesh Tripathi: Homage to Babuji (K.P. Tripathi). He left us this day in 1984.

Once upon a time American and European fuel guzzling cars were very popular all over the world because there was no other choice. Then came, the fuel efficient Japanese cars that took the car markets by storm where some of these companies faced the threat of closure and some actually closed. Finally, to survive every car manufacturer had to manufacture fuel efficient cars. They say global trends are more powerful than national and national trends are more powerful than the local.

Indian political market is somewhat heading in the same direction where the culture of VVIPISM is frustrating the Indian population as a whole. Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps harping about the strength of the young Indian population which happens to be under the age of 35 and is 60% of the Indian population. And this population will soon be up for grabs if they don’t find employment in other sectors, and they will turn into politicians and that will be only good for the Indian Political Market.

For this new breed of politicians will be lean, wieldy, needy and talented, and putting it more appropriately–fuel efficient. Like the Sonis and Seljas they won’t require Bungalows to reside in, vehicles and drivers to cart them, secretaries to communicate, peons to lift their baggage and security guards to protect them. They will be confident and self-sufficient.

And they will be ready to operate out of small residence, carry their own luggage, drive their own cars or move in public transport without security guards and operate their own laptops; pretty much, away from the hulky and unwieldy syndrome.

Looking in the manner the current generation of politicians is frustrating India through VVIPISM; the talented young India is seeing an opportunity in this. And this may happen quite soon. Arvind Kejriwal came quite close to this methodology but for some reasons moved away. But the younger generation is still contemplating the opportunity and it will require only 5-10 young crusaders to announce this new kind of politicking; and will become the new hero of new India—the lean Indian Politician.

Read the TOI column, Thursday, May 21, 2015

New Delhi: Former Union ministers and Rajya Sabha MPs from Congress Ambika Soni and Kumari Selja have slapped privilege notices on the urban development (UD) ministry for asking them to vacate their official bungalows.

The ministry served them eviction notice on the ground that they were no entitled to the ministerial bungalows. Both the MPs have contested the claim and have dubbed the notice as a breach of their privilege as parliamentarians. The UD ministry has been intimated by the Upper House.

“The two have given privilege notices to the urban development ministry in response to its eviction notice served on them for vacating their Type-VIII bungalows.” said an official.

Soni and Selja are staying in 22, Akbar Road and 7, Moti Lal Nehru Road, respectively, which are allotted to them when they were ministers in the previous UPA government. The UD ministry claimed they were entitled to accommodation meant for MPs as per their seniority but not ministerial bungalows.

This came even as all MPs staying in the Ashoka Hotel have vacated it. “Dushyant Chautala of INLD was the last to vacate the hotel.” an official said. At one point, 120 newly-elected MPs were staying at Ashoka Hotel.

When Pratibha Devi Singh Patil was contesting President’s election, Shiv Sena decided to vote for her enbloc, even when she was a Congress candidate, just because she was a Maharashtrian.

They say ethnic food, language, and minorities have tremendous potential to unite. Unfortunately UP (Uttar Pradesh) has none even when it happens to be the biggest state of India. Its mere name is Uttar Pradesh which means the northern province and does not denote any form of ethnicity. Its mother tongue happens to be Hindi. So what, everyone speaks Hindi—sab bolte hain, and so it still doesn’t create that fusion amongst UPites as it would in case of Tamilians, Maharashtrians, Bengalis, Gujaratis or Punjabis to cite a few examples.

It even does not have that ethnic umbrella of food which by sheer name hyperlinks you to the concerned state like—Idli, Dosa Sambar connects you to Tamil Nadu, fish to Bengal, Chole Bhature to Punjab and Dhokla to Gujarat to name a few. It has ordinary Dal Roti,Saag, Sabzi, Kabaabs and Mithai to mention a few which most states of the north have, so there again there is no pull. And so the underground connect that some the other states have by virtue of language, food and ethnicity is largely missing in this state.

Though UP was and still is the livewire political capital of India with 84 seats in Lok Sabha and 31 in Rajya Sabha it was always a case of chiragtale andhera. It never developed like other states and always basked in the comfortable backyards of Delhi. And, sadly the MPs from UP only bickered with each other across party lines and the trend goes on, even when every other state of India is fighting tooth and nail to get new industries and investments into their state. And, so can we expect giants like Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rajnath Singh, Mayawati and Rahul Gandhi all from UP, ever coming together for the cause of U.P? The answer is big no.

Eight of India’s fifteen Prime Ministers were from Uttar Pradesh: Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Charan Singh, Rajeev Gandhi, V.P.Singh, Chandrashekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee apart from various other senior union cabinet ministers who have represented U.P. But still it is a laggard state. And no one knows whom to blame, whether the political class of the state and so also the citizenry.

For some Prime Ministers it was understandable because they had short stints and came in much later in the day but some had long initial stints post India’s independence and still couldn’t provide that initial desired impetus of industrialization and development.

In fact Mrs Indira Gandhi coolly handed over the Integral Coach Factory tipped for Allahabad to Kaputhala in Punjab while Punjab agitation was at its peak to please Sikhs not realising how bad Uttar Pradesh must have felt especially when Phoolpur-Allahabad was Jawahar Lal Nehru’s constituency; and all her life Mrs Gandhi fought elections from Rae-Bareilly in UP.

After Indira Gandhi now Rahul Gandhi the scion of Gandhi parivar is taking Rae-Bareilly for a ride by not taking the food park project seriously when it was sanctioned to him in 2010 and with all the influence at his command he could have seen the project through and got so many in Rae-Bareilly employed. And therefore I fail to understand why Congress Party tries to take Uttar Pradesh for granted.

And looking at the plight of U.P. it is important that the MPs of Uttar Pradesh unite for a change and not let the food park go out to some other state. Even Aklesh Yadav’s government should provide all clearances asap. For one food park or a coach factory will not make any difference in the life of Gandhis, but will certainly make a tremendous difference in the lives of a common man from Uttar Pradesh.

A couple of days back Sonia Gandhi with her brigade of Congress MPs staged a half kilometer solidarity march only to tell India and the world, that Dr Manmohan Singh is above corruption and that the trial court summoned him out of unknown motives. Some judiciary stalwarts called it a case judicial overreach. And, some BJP leaders playfully consider Dr Manmohan Singh as an upright and straight forward academician- Prime Minister; and they keep resonating this at regular intervals so that they can shift the entire tag of corruption towards the Congress High Command –Sonia Gandhi.

Media too refers Dr MMS as a victim of circumstances, overlooking those famous cautioning words, ‘Caesar’s wife needs to be above suspicion.’ And, so, also the Prime Minister of the largest democracy of the world. But, in all of this Dr MMS is either too naïve or too smart and needs to answer some questions to retain his tall and revered brand equity:

For if there was corruption, financial misdeeds and scams in the UPA regime why should Sonia Gandhi alone take the blame as he was an untiring accomplice, being head of the Government.

And it doesn’t cut much ice that he was arm-twisted to carry out corrupt instructions; where he could have dis-obeyed Sonia Gandhi and stepped down. So you became an accomplice to be in a coveted position of PM.

You enjoyed being the Prime Minister of the country meeting world leaders, staying in that sprawling 7 race course road, roaming in those BMWs cars, SPG protected. And even today by virtue of that position you are where you. And so why should you not take the entire blame of corruption. In fact a person who can stop corruption but doesn’t is equally to be blamed.

And unless MMS clears the air, his image will remain stained and this is what power can do to even a TALL MANMOHAN.

Ever since the stormy news of Rahul Gandhi’s sabbatical for ‘personal introspection’ during the ensuing budget session came in. Both the media and the social networking sites in India have hounded him to cruel smithereens. A parallel of which one cannot remember, at least in the recent past.

When, other, light and more decent ‘critical’ phrases could have been used to put him down. Double-meaning expressions like ‘missing in action’ (MIA) were continuously aired by certain TV channels, knowingly or unknowingly.

‘MIA is a casualty classification assigned to armed services personnel and other combatants who are reported missing during wartime. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or even deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave has been positively identified.’ And, so the usage of MIA was in bad taste and a clear case of media going overboard.

And that brings us to the moot point. Is the youth of this country (as reflected in social networking sites) which is sixty five percent of the Indian population, getting intolerant to failures. That they won’t even spare a person around, their own age group. While this is a welcome sign and also an insignia of progress. It is also a double edge sword. For, in times to come Indian youth with lack of opportunities and explosion of population will surely witness failures in every family, and will every family then treat their loved ones in the manner they have treated Rahul Gandhi, over the last couple of days. For let us not forget he is still part of the great Indian family.

Most blame Rahul Gandhi for ditching the Congress party at the crucial Budget session. There are other reports that say he is set to bid adieu to politics. Some say he is unable to have his way with the old guard and therefore beating a tactical retreat.

And we all know, with all the effort put in by him he could not win a single election for his party, in the near past. Many of his own party men are blaming him for the state in which Congress is today. When most of them are either, arm chair politicians, lawyers or inconsequential statesmen. But there are certain other points also to be considered before we rip this man completely.

Rahul Gandhi signals a new kind of India. Where, a politician may leave the turf and decide to do something else. Which may be worth his while and worth his salt, during his lifetime. And that should be taken in the stride; and not be indecently reported by the media. For one will see more politicians behaving in this fashion in times to come. So, give the loser his due.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says ‘I don’t dream for success in what I do. I only dream to do something worthwhile.’ This is a very powerful statement in today’s context and more so in Rahul Gandhi’s context. So whether you lose or win keep moving. As there is no intrinsic insult in moving away from politics. For politics is only heart burning and time consuming mistress for some. Perhaps, Narendra Modi could have nudged the media to be a little more relenting towards Rahul Gandhi this time, more so when the youth of India looks up to him.

Let us not forget in the emerging India there won’t be any fixed route to politics. For it won’t be necessary to remain a politician all your life. For one could also be a politician like Kiran Bedi who excels in one field and takes away Satish Upadhyay’s due. Or be a tornado like Arvind Kejriwal to take Delhi by storm.

But coming back to Rahul. At least he goes on leave all by himself. Whereas, some like LK Advani and MM Joshi are sent on leave. So which is better? And, India shouldn’t forget its great culture of being humane to all. Irrespective of a winner or a loser.